Pamela Rose Caroline Harding was born in England September 25th, 1930; the fifth and ultimately the middle of 9 children. She had an idyllic childhood until the Second World War. Mom told us stories of cowering in the closet under the stairs during bombing raids, mixing yellow food coloring into cans of lard to make a butter substitute, and cows painted black. At the age of 14, Mom started work scrubbing floors in a nearby hospital. By the age of 20, she was working for Western Union as a telegraphist. Sometime in 1952, Pamela met a young Yank she thought was a “nice guy” by the name of Charles Washburn. They married in November 1952. She and Charlie made their home in England until he was shipped back to the states--without her. Mom soon followed, a little English Rose alone on a large ocean vessel. Eventually Pam and Charlie lived in California, first in San Francisco, where Dad tried to teach her to drive in Golden Gate Park, and then later in King City where she again worked for Western Union. When Dad was assigned to Guam, Pamela moved to the very foreign Northern Idaho town of Bonners Ferry to live with Charlie’s family until she and their daughter boarded another ocean vessel to cross the Pacific Ocean. Mom continued as an army spouse, later living in Missouri where their second and third daughters were born. This was followed by another ocean voyage to Germany where two sons were added to the family. When it was time to return to the states again, this time the family boarded an airplane and then made a cross country drive to Fort Lewis, Washington. Another trip to Germany followed by another stay in Bonners Ferry preceded a final move to Texas. In 1978, Pamela lost her Charlie, but by that time grandchildren had arrived and Mom continued working and traveling when she could.
Pamela Rose Caroline Harding Washburn passed away November 20, 2020. She is survived by one sibling, Patricia Phillips of Oxfordshire, England, and by her 5 children; Barbara Wright and her husband Bobby, Wendy Gaffney, Denise Rasta, Allen Washburn, and Rick Washburn and his wife Phyllis. Pamela is also survived by 10 grandchildren whom she loved very much and who called her Nana; Chad Gaffney, Sara Wright, Caroline Wright, Stacie Gaffney, George Avery, Kenneth Rasta, Matthew Rasta, Casey Washburn, Emily Powers, and Sadie Morris. And her Great-grandchildren: Reece Floyd, Mitchell Floyd, Zack Avery, Zane Trusky, Kinsley Rasta, Eilis Campbell, Emilia Morris, and Violet Powers, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews in England. Her family would be remiss if we neglected to remember Pam’s dear friend and neighbor, Dee Fenton.
Pallbearers are George Avery, Mitchell Floyd, Chad Gaffney, Ron Herron, Caroline Wright, and Sara Wright. Honorary pallbearers are Gene Fenton, Reece Floyd, Allen Washburn, and Rick Washburn.
